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When snow blankets the fairways of golf courses to the north, take a cue from snowbirds and head down to states in the lower latitudes. Since fellow golfers are also flocking south, plan your trip early. Tee times are easier to get if you're in group of four, so consider getting a quartet golf buddies together for the trip. Winter is the high season in southern US states, and prices peak from October through April.

Scottsdale, Arizona

With some 300 days of annual sunshine and winter high temperatures in the mid-60s F, Scottsdale is an obvious mecca for golfers. The western Phoenix suburb features about 100 golf courses high in the Sonoran desert. The Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale is home to the Troon North's two golf courses, Monument and Pinnacle. Both courses stretch through high desert foothills and canyons near Pinnacle Peak.The resort offers a vacation package with casita accommodations, two rounds for golf for each night at the hotel, breakfast for two and a golf cart.

Myrtle Beach

Nicknamed the Grand Strand, Myrtle Beach draw golfers with its sub-tropical climate, ocean views and more than 100 golf courses. Several companies can arrange a customized golf trip. If you're already a fan of the Barefoot Resort courses, take advantage of their "Pay Three, Play Four" special that includes four nights' accommodations at a resort golf villa, a round at each of the resort's four courses, cart fees and breakfast at the clubhouse. The Barefoot courses include the tree-lined Fazio Course, the beautiful and treacherous Dye Course, the low country-inspired Love Course and the Norman Course, which runs along the Intracoastal Waterway.

Palm Springs

Long a favorite playground for Hollywood celebrities, Palm Springs and the surrounding desert towns in the Coachella Valley features more than 125 golf courses. Several courses host PGA and LPGA tournaments, including PGA West. The group of six championship courses, by golf legends, including Arnold Palmer, Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus, are often stops on the PGA Tour. La Quinta Resort offers a Desert Links Package, which includes overnight accommodations in your choice of a resort villa or casita, unlimited golf on five PGA West courses and a $25 resort credit.

Texas Hill Country

The Texas Hill Country golf courses are known for their wide variety of styles and layouts in and around the Austin and San Antonio area. Warm daytime winter temperatures and scenic countryside draw golfers in the winter months. The Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa is home to the Hill Country Golf Club, a 27-hole facility that sprawls through rolling meadows, wooded hillsides and ravines and tranquil lakes. Their golf package includes standard room accommodations, breakfast and unlimited golf, which includes a 15-minute lesson and unlimited use of the driving range.

Boca Raton Florida

Known as the "Sunshine State," Florida is always a favorite winter escape for freezing northerners. Boca Raton, located on Florida's southeastern coast near Miami, is an upscale resort town with a number of popular golf courses. Among them is the course at the Boca Raton Resort. Originally built in 1926, the renovated club features two nine-hole routes, the Resort Course and the Country Club Course. The resort offers an Unlimited Golf Package, which includes accommodations, unlimited play, greens fees and cart and a lesson at the resort's golf clinic.

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About the Author

Susan Sedgwick has been a writer for more than 10 years, and her work has appeared in major newspapers, magazines and websites. Her favorite topics include interior design, travel, food, wine, entertainment, health and medicine. She has been featured in "Time Magazine," "New York Daily News" and "Detour." She earned her Masters of Arts in English/fiction writing from New York University.

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